Casco Bay Half-Day Sea Kayak Tour
Description
Explore the beautiful islands of Casco Bay in this four-hour sea kayak tour. After a brief lesson on the basics of sea kayaking, you'll set out with a licensed Maine Guide. The small group will island-hop through the bay, looking out for seals and seabirds and enjoying the views of lighthouses, 19th-century forts and other fascinating landmarks. We’ll stop at an island for a break and a snack provided by Portland Paddle. This is a great tour for anyone who wants to get a taste of sea kayaking in the rugged islands of the Maine coast. Our most popular trip!
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children ages 12-15 must paddle in a tandem kayak with an adult.
- Children must be accompanied by an Adult
- Minimum age is 12 years old
- Most participants are given tandem (two-person) kayaks because they are more stable, spacious and easier to use. Please let us know if you prefer a solo kayak.
- Please dress appropriately. Bring shoes that can get wet and a windbreaker or other warm layer.
- Subject to weather conditions. If your tour is canceled due to strong winds or rain, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund.
- Please arrive 10 minutes early to check-in. Allow time for parking.
Reviews(60)
Very well organized. Paige our guide was very friendly passionate about paddling and very knowledgeable about the areas wild life and history. We have amazing weather and saw harbor and grey seals. Along with many different species of birds including ospreys. The kayaks were very comfortable and sturdy.
Did a tour as part of a cruise excursion and kayaked out to Fort Gorges. Our guide, Jenny, was amazing! She taught me some new paddling skills and was kind to all of us, regardless of prior kayak experience. I was nervous to kayak in the ocean and she made it feel safe, fun and easy. Highly recommend!
Booked this tour and showed up the day of the tour. The tour operator told me that the tour could not be operated due to high winds - fair enough. She assured my that my booking would be cancelled and that I would get a refund. Well the booking was NOT cancelled and I have NOT received a refund - these people are shady...
Hi Jim - We're very sorry there was a brief delay with your refund. Since you booked through a third-party, Viator, and they collected your payment, the refund process was slightly more complicated than simply refunding a credit card charge. We informed Viator of the cancellation immediately, and then followed up two days later to make sure you received your refund. At this point they have confirmed that the refund was processed. I assure you that we always refund customers when we cancel tours due to weather. And if you still aren't seeing the refund for some reason, give us a call or email and we'll make sure to fix that. We regret you weren't able to paddle that day too, but the conditions on Casco Bay were much rougher than forecasted, so we made a fairly late decision to cancel . We hope you can join us another time.
The guides were friendly and engaging, brought us a snack for our midway stop, and attentive to our needs and pace.
My husband and I (ages 49 and 53), along with two other couples who were in their 50s/60s, had a great time with guide Ty on the half-day kayaking tour. He gave is many options on where to go and what to see, and thankfully this group was adventurous and willing to push themselves, because we got to see many seals by crossing the bay. Today, the day after, we are not sore at all because Ty taught us proper technique in paddling. He was also very personable, learned our names immediately, was very respectful of the natural habitats of wildlife, shared anecdotes and history while out on the water, and gave us frequent validations. I highly recommend him as a guide. He also got s huge kick out of me teaching him the southern term scooterpootin', and I hope he uses it moving forward!
This is a terrific tour if you want a half day commitment and overview of beautiful Casco Bay. Go with Alex our guide. So knowledgeable about Maine, great teacher ( I got some great tips on paddling and steering technique) and so easy to talk to and such a fun person. We had fun, great conversations the whole morning. We visited an island and circled a few others. They gear you up with jackets and shoes and sea skirts and have great equipment. Run, don't walk. This is the place! They are also located in East Portland near Washington Avenue and great restaurants for lunch after your paddle. Alex gave us great recs. What a great day!
Thanks for the review! So glad you had such a terrific experience with Alex.
We had a tremendous experience kayaking out to Fort Gorges and back, led by our excellent tour guide and kayak instructor Joe. Our guide first provided a very comprehensive overview of how to operate a kayak, and what we could expect out on the Bay. Joe was with us at all times on the water, giving us added instruction and he made everyone on our group feel safe and comfortable. But most of all, we had fun and we were all novices so no concerns to anyone without experience. And we definitely got a lot of time on the water. So it was a great time and I would recommend Portland Paddle highly to anyone looking for a fun day out in the water with first class guides.
Thanks so much for paddling with us, and glad Joe was such a great instructor for you.
Excellent customer service, instructor tips were fun and helpful. Kayaking among the sailboats and under the pier was spectacular! Highly recommend, great experience.
Thanks so much for paddling with us!
Worth every penny. We actually paddled a sizable distance, which I really appreciated as I wanted to exercise, not just float. The seals were abundant. So many seals at some point it was hard to focus on just one. Really enjoyed Suzanne’s company, her guiding skills, and her knowledge of the area. Highly recommend.
We're so glad you could paddle with us!
Suzanne was an amazing guide! We paddled to an island and saw seals along the way. Would highly recommend!
